When a predetermined anomaly has occurred in a digital multifunctional machine, the fact of the anomaly occurring is notified to the service center and the computer at the guardhouse. The service person sent out from the service center is issued with an entrance permit from the entrance permit issuing device at the guardhouse. Then, the service person can pass through the passage gates in the building using the information recorded in the entrance permit and reach the place where the digital multifunctional machine is installed.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An image processing system including an issuing terminal for issuing entrance permits, a service center and an image forming apparatus connected to the image issuing terminal and the service center, characterized in that the image forming apparatus includes: an anomaly status detector for detecting an anomaly condition of the image forming apparatus; an anomaly type determining portion for determining the type of the anomaly condition detected by the anomaly status detector; a service center-notifying portion for notifying the service center of the anomaly condition when the type of the anomaly determined by the anomaly type determining portion is of a predetermined anomaly type; and, an issuing terminal-notifying portion for notifying the issuing terminal of the anomaly condition when being notified of occurrence of the anomaly condition by the service center-notifying portion.
2. The image processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the issuing terminal includes an entrance permit issuing portion for issuing an entrance permit when being notified by the issuing terminal notifying portion that the image forming apparatus is in the anomaly condition.
3. The image processing system according to claim 2 , wherein the issuing terminal-notifying portion notifies the passage permit information for permitting passage to the place where the image forming apparatus is installed in addition to the anomaly condition; and the entrance permit issuing portion records the passage permit information that the issuing terminal notifying portion has notified of to issue the entrance permit.
4. The image processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the service center transmits maintenance information to the image forming apparatus when the service center has received a notice that the image forming apparatus is in the anomaly condition.
5. The image processing system according to claim 4 , wherein the location detector also detects the time when the location of the service person is detected.
6. The image processing system according to claim 1 , being connected to a management device for managing a service person, wherein the management device includes a location detector for detecting the location of the service person.
7. The image processing system according to claim 1 , wherein an identification information to identify the image forming apparatus is recorded in the entrance permit, the image forming apparatus includes an entrance permit recognition portion for recognising the entrance permit, and moves into a maintenance mode when identification information is recorded in the entrance permit recognised by the entrance permit recognition portion.
8. An image processing apparatus connected to an issuing terminal for issuing entrance permits and to a service center, comprising: an anomaly status detector for detecting an anomaly condition of the image forming apparatus; an anomaly type determining portion for determining the type of the anomaly condition detected by the anomaly status detector; a service center-notifying portion for notifying the service center of the anomaly condition when the type of the anomaly determined by the anomaly type determining portion is of a predetermined anomaly type; and an issuing terminal-notifying portion for notifying the issuing terminal of the anomaly condition when being notified of occurrence of the anomaly condition by the service center-notifying portion.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
September 22, 2008
October 18, 2011
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